Electronic digital and analog integrated circuits often require resistors to perform the desired functions. One type of resistor is the diffused resistor wherein a region of a semiconductor layer is doped to the opposite polarity as the remainder of the layer. There are several disadvantages to using diffused resistors. In the diffused resistor there inherently is a capacitance at the interface of the resistor and the underlying semiconductor layer. This capacitance can lead to current leakage and slower device operation.
Another type of resistor which may be formed on an integrated circuit is a polysilicon resistor. Although some of the capacitance problems may be minimized with certain poly resistor structures, the devices are typically more difficult to build. Typically, two masking levels and possibly two layers of polysilicon are required to implement a poly resistor. This complex process adds additional cost and potential yield problems.
Accordingly, improvements which overcome any or all of the problems are presently desirable.